Editorial: A wild midterm stirs interest

Sunday

Oct 28, 2018 at 2:01 AM

It’s nine days until Election Day, yet it is already shaping up to be a record-setting midterm election thanks to a ballot that has something for everybody and more.

In Marion County, early voting started Thursday and will continue daily — including today — until next Saturday. As of Friday afternoon, Marion County Supervisor of Election Wesley Cox said 18 percent of the county’s registered voters had already cast ballots, either through mail or by voting early. Of the county’s 243,000 voters, more than 43,000 ballots had already been received. That is a 3 percent jump from the same point in the 2014 midterm election. In 2014, nearly 25 percent of the local ballots cast came in early, Wilcox said. So with nine days to go before the election is over, he expects this year to easily surpass that, with an estimated 2.5-3 percent of the electorate expected to vote each day up until Election Day.

Voter enthusiasm is not limited to local voters either. On Friday, state elections officials announced that more than 2 million Floridians — out of 13 million registered voters — had already cast their ballots.

And why shouldn’t voters be interested. This is an election unlike any we have seen in the past generation, especially for a non-presidential year.

Ironically, it is not local races that are driving the interest. Yes, there are three School Board races still being contested, and given the controversy surrounding that board and the state of our schools, we would hope voters are homed in on them. There also is the superintendent of schools referendum, asking voters whether they want to continue electing the Marion County schools chief or want to go to a superintendent appointed by the School Board.

But it is the statewide races and constitutional amendments that are driving the most interest in this election, starting with the race for governor.

There could hardly be two more different candidates than what we have in the Republican, former Congressman Ron DeSantis, and the Democrat, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. DeSantis, a Trump acolyte, has built his campaign on their relationship, offering few details about how he would govern. Meanwhile, Gillum has offered up a progressive agenda that calls for more education spending, expanded health care services and tighter environmental regulation.

The man they hope to replace, Republican Gov. Rick Scott, is in a neck-and-neck contest with two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. They represent a sharp contrast in styles and ideology. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the Nelson-Scott race is the most expensive one this year nationwide, the two candidates and their supporters having spent $136 million.

Both the gubernatorial and senatorial campaigns have been nasty at times, but voters have a clear choice in both.

Finally, there are the 12 constitutional amendments. They cover everything from taxes to gambling to offshore drilling. We recommend voting "no" on amendments 1, 5, 6, 7 and 10 and "yes" on 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, and 13.

Early voting continues through next Saturday at nine locations around Marion County from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. To find out the nearest voting site to you, go online to votemarion.com or call 620-3290.

It’s a heck of an election. Don’t be left out of having your say. Please vote.

A wild midterm stirs interest

It’s nine days until Election Day, yet it is already shaping up to be a record-setting midterm election thanks to a ballot that has something for everybody and more.

In Marion County, early voting started Thursday and will continue daily — including today — until next Saturday. As of Friday afternoon, Marion County Supervisor of Election Wesley Cox said 18 percent of the county’s registered voters had already cast ballots, either through mail or by voting early. Of the county’s 243,000 voters, more than 43,000 ballots had already been received. That is a 3 percent jump from the same point in the 2014 midterm election. In 2014, nearly 25 percent of the local ballots cast came in early, Wilcox said. So with nine days to go before the election is over, he expects this year to easily surpass that, with an estimated 2.5-3 percent of the electorate expected to vote each day up until Election Day.

Voter enthusiasm is not limited to local voters either. On Friday, state elections officials announced that more than 2 million Floridians — out of 13 million registered voters — had already cast their ballots.

And why shouldn’t voters be interested. This is an election unlike any we have seen in the past generation, especially for a non-presidential year.

Ironically, it is not local races that are driving the interest. Yes, there are three School Board races still being contested, and given the controversy surrounding that board and the state of our schools, we would hope voters are homed in on them. There also is the superintendent of schools referendum, asking voters whether they want to continue electing the Marion County schools chief or want to go to a superintendent appointed by the School Board.

But it is the statewide races and constitutional amendments that are driving the most interest in this election, starting with the race for governor.

There could hardly be two more different candidates than what we have in the Republican, former Congressman Ron DeSantis, and the Democrat, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. DeSantis, a Trump acolyte, has built his campaign on their relationship, offering few details about how he would govern. Meanwhile, Gillum has offered up a progressive agenda that calls for more education spending, expanded health care services and tighter environmental regulation.

The man they hope to replace, Republican Gov. Rick Scott, is in a neck-and-neck contest with two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. They represent a sharp contrast in styles and ideology. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the Nelson-Scott race is the most expensive one this year nationwide, the two candidates and their supporters having spent $136 million.

Both the gubernatorial and senatorial campaigns have been nasty at times, but voters have a clear choice in both.

Finally, there are the 12 constitutional amendments. They cover everything from taxes to gambling to offshore drilling. We recommend voting “no” on amendments 1, 5, 6, 7 and 10 and “yes” on 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, and 13.

Early voting continues through next Saturday at nine locations around Marion County from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. To find out the nearest voting site to you, go online to votemarion.com or call 620-3290.

It’s a heck of an election. Don’t be left out of having your say. Please vote.

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